Batman and Robin #19 – Hope in the Face of Death

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die…” (John 11:25)

And so, we finally get to it. We finally begin to see exactly how Batman is dealing with the tragic death of his son and partner, Damien Wayne a.k.a. Robin. Much of Requiem up to this point has been fairly poignant but also somewhat bland. This is far more interesting, and even a bit disturbing. Best of all, it’s unexpected, which is exactly how someone reacting to such a tragic death would most likely behave; in unexpected ways. Oddly enough, despite the deep, emotional core of this issue, there are points that also feel almost like light-hearted, commercialized fan service. In the midst of a powerful storyline such as this, what’s the point of that?

This month Batman and Robin #19 is titled Batman and Red Robin. I hope DC doesn’t turn the aftermath of Damien’s death into some sort of “Battle for the Cowl” type event leading up to who will be Batman’s next partner. That just seems like it would cheapen what is otherwise a very dramatic moment in the personal history of Batman. Then again, comic books are a business, so each month having the title reflect the possibility of some “new Robin” appearing in the pages as the potential replacement partner probably makes some sort of publishing sense.

Along those lines is the surprise guest star in this issue. I won’t spoil it in case, like me, you had no idea they were ever going to do this. I find it interesting that the title of the issue is Batman and Red Robin yet it’s this other character that shares the special foldout cover. I’m pretty sure I would have remembered this character showing up before now, so doing it in this way not only makes it feel shoe-horned in, but is the main reason some of this issue really feels just like commercialized fan service. Getting this character in the actual costume felt particularly contrived.

Most of that felt pretty much like the sideshow. The core of this story is about Batman’s attempt to resurrect his son. That’s right, he’s not letting go and he’s determined to bring Damien back. I’ll let you read the issue to see how he plans to do that, but let me just say that it’s pretty dark for even the Dark Knight. And, of course, ever being the pragmatist, Batman is determined to find a scientific way of going about this. Death is never easy, and the death of someone’s child is particularly difficult. In a pragmatic, scientific world such as Batman’s, there’s very little hope beyond what one can understand about death. However, if one moves beyond that view, one will find that there is indeed hope for resurrection, and that there’s Someone who understand exactly how it feels to lose someone you love. The story of the Bible is a story about a father’s love, and the story about a father losing a son, and about a power that can even bring the dead back to life; not in any unholy way, but in the only way that is truly holy. For some, like Batman, it’s all myths and fables, but he’s wrong about that. In fact, as he’s discovering, even the Batman needs the reality of the hope that the Truth of the Bible can bring.

Batman and Red Robin #19 is perhaps one of the best reflections on the aftermath of Damien’s death thus far; especially in how it’s affecting Batman himself. There are some great character moments here, including some good one’s between Batman and Alfred and Batman and Red Robin, and some solid moments of exploring the issue at hand; death, it’s unfairness, and whether or not there is any hope in the face of death.

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26)

Score: 6 of 7

A BIG thanks to Astro-Zombies for providing the material for this review. Learn more about them at astrozombies.com.